A mother, we know, has to suffer for her children. Our rivers have a similar fate. All our big rivers are born on some hill or mountain. They are fed by snow or rain or both. So, the Indus, the Ganges, the Kosi, the Narmada and the Kaveri flow all the year round. Other rivers are born only during the rains. So, they dry up in summer.

In this way, our rivers feed on ordinary water – snow water and rainwater. But the water they give us is the water of life:

They give health to our fields and forests. The silt they bring is food for our soil. A barren piece of land is turned into a lovely garden.

They feed not only our land and plants but also our mills and factories. River water is turned into a new power called electricity, and thus, in turn, helps our trade and industry.

A large number of Indian cities such as New Delhi, Kolkata, Allahabad, Agra, etc., are situated on the bank of rivers.